Crate.



' No. 835,932. PATENTED NOV. 13,1906-- H. L. Gz-HQ- BROGKSGHMIDT.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED 116.26, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN N L. BROOKSOHMIDT AND HENRY BROOKSOHMIDT, OF FREISTATT, MISSOURI.

CRATE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed August 25, 1905. Serial No. 275.801.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERMANN L. BROOK- SCHMIDT and HENRY BROCKSCHMIDT, citizens of the United States, residing at Freistatt, in the county of Lawrence, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates; and we do hereby-declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to crates.

One object of the invention is to provide a crate embodying such characteristics that it may be folded for storing purposes.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a crate so constructed and arranged that it may be locked in its set-up position and locked in its folded position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a crate for shipping purposes wherein simplicity, inexpensiveness, durability, and efliciency are essential features.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of our improved crate. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a transverse section. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a crate in folded position.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference character 1 designates the bottom of the crate, secured to the side edges of which are the side pieces 2 and 3 and to the end edges of which are secured the end pieces 4 and 5, the end pieces 4 and 5 having strips 6 and 7 secured in any suitable manner to their outer faces. These strips 6 and 7 are each provided with a pair of perforations 8, each of which latter is arranged in alinement with the screw-threaded perforation 9 of a nut 10, fitted in recesses 1.1., formed in the under edge of the said strips 6 and 7 and held in the recesses with their screw-threaded perforations in alinement with the perforations 8 of the strips by means of suitable plates 12, secured in any suitable manner to the under faces of the said strips 6 and 7.

Connected to the sides 2 and 3 by means of the hinges 13 are side members 14 and 15, there being end pieces 16 and 17 connected to the fixed end pieces 4 and 5, respectively, by means of suitable hinges 18. Secured to the inner face of each hinged end piece 16 and 17 are vertical cleats 19 and 20, against which through the corresponding the hinge side pieces 14 and 15 contact to support the latter in upright position. Secured to the outer face of each hinged end piece 16 and 17 is a strip 21, each strip 21 having a pair of perforations 22, arranged in alinement with the screw-threaded perforations 23 of the nuts 24, secured in suitable recesses 25 in the under face of each strip 21 and held in their recesses by means of suitable plates 25.

- In the event that it should be desired to form separate compartments of the crate we provide a suitable strip 26, which We secure in any suitable manner to the upper face of the bottom 1 intermediate the ends thereof, and in the strip 26 we form oppositely-disposed perforations 27 for the reception of the oppositely-disposed pegs 28, secured to the lower edge of the division-plate 29, which latter extends to the upper edge of the hinged side pieces 14 and 15 when the latter are in their upright position, the said division-plate 29 serving also to prevent inward movement of the hinge side pieces 14 and 15.

The reference character 30 designates the top of the crate. Secured to the under face of the top 30, at each end thereof, is a strip 31. The inner faces of these strips are adapted to engage the outer faces of the hinged end members 16 and 17 and rest upon the top of the strips 21, secured to the outer faces of the hinged end pieces 16 and 17, whereby endwise movement of the top is prevented.

In order to prevent the sidewise movement of the top with respect to the crate, we secure to the under face of the top a pair of transverse metallic strips 32, each having its eX- tremity provided with a finger 33 for engagement with the outer faces of the corresponding hinge side pieces 14 and 15. By so constructing the top 30 movement thereof with respect to the crate is positively prevented, as is also outward movement of the hinged side members 14 and 15 or the end hinged members 16 and 17.

In order to securely fasten the crate in the shipping of eggs, vegetables, or fruit, we provide the pairs of perforations 33 and 34 at the ends of the top, which perforations pass depending end strips 31 and aline with the corresponding perforations 22 of the strips 21 of the hinged end members 16 and 17 We then pass suitable bolts 34 through the alining perforalatter and the top piece in alinement for tions of the screw-threaded extremities of said bolts in engagement with the aforesaid nuts 24, disposed in the recesses of the strips 21. The locking of the crate in its unfolded position should now be well understood.

To knock down the crate, we first take the division-plate 29 from engagement with the transverse strip 26 and place it between the latter and one fixed end of the crate and then fold the hinged end pieces 16 and 17 down toward the bottom 1 of the crate. The hinged sides are then folded inwardly upon each other upon the hinged end pieces, and the top piece 80 is then disposed upon the up per edges of the fixed side and end pieces, with the fingers 33 of the transverse metallic strips 32 against the outer faces of thefixed side pieces 2 and 3 and the depending strips 31 upon the upper faces of the strips 6 of the fixed end pieces, with the perforations of the pieces secured thereto, supplemental side and end pieces hinged to the corresponding fixed pieces for movement into and out of vertical position, a horizontal strip secured against the outer face of each of the fixed and supplemental end pieces, each strip having a pair of passages formed vertically therethrough and having recesses in their under faces communicating with the passages, a nut disposed in each recess with its opening in registration with the corresponding passage, plates secured against the under faces of each strip and extending across the recesses to hold the nuts therein, a top arranged to lie at times upon the upper edges of the fixed pieces and at times upon the supplemental pieces, strips carried by the ends of the top and arranged to rest upon the strips of the fixed and supplemental end pieces, and having passages therethrough disposed for registration with those of the first-named strips, and bolts engaged through the top and in the openings of the strips carried by the top and adapted for engagement in the passages of the strips of the fixed-and supplemental end pieces interchangeably to engage their threaded ends in the ends of said strips.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signa tures in presence of two witnesses.

HERMANN L. BROCKSCHMIDT. HENRY BROCKSCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

H. BOUKSMEYER, BEN O. JoEoKEL. 

